The name of the ministry is Imago. Imago is Latin root word of imagination and image.  It is at the heart of creativity

It is our vision to build a center for creativity; a campus where creativity is used to: help heal the body, mind, and spirit of all people, to train people in the arts as having a purpose of edification, and one that ultimately points the way back to a transformational spiritual awakening. The vision consists of several campuses nationally and internationally. The plan for the site consists of a central building that is both a spiritual community and theater complex for the arts. A spiritual community not just in the sense of an hour or meager hours spent in a week but a continuous offering of whom and what we are that is expressed as our daily efforts, work, and lives.

The rest consists of studios for the various arts. A broadcast building housing TV, radio, broadband streaming, pod casts, and all things imagined. Full teaching classrooms and housing for students and the artist in residence programs. There is a campground and hotel for the retreat building and an outdoor theater complex. There is a prayer walk, sculpture gardens and nature trails. There are support buildings, full catering facilities and reception center. There are also rustic isolated cabins for use for personal retreats and extended periods of study.

The complex would have an operating organic farm and would lead with as many environmental alternative energy usages as possible. There are to be water features and undeveloped land all to reflect the glory of God without the restrictions of religion. It is to be an oasis of discovery; an example of thoughtful stewardship.

It is the objective of the ministry to be self-supporting so that all the funds raised go directly into people to whom it serves, programs offered, and outreach into the community. It is also the vision that no tuition/fees are to be charged for any part of the program.

There are programs that reach beyond the borders of just the Imago complex. Ministry must meet the people where they are in their need. It must be a clearing house to help the artistic communities with their unique needs. It must reach out to the community in general with creative approaches to problems of the community.  To be trusted and accepted by the community, you must invest in the community. You must be able to provide the community with something to place their trust and hope in. There must be community-based buildings. 

We must establish business links that can help the arts communities: insurance contacts of companies that specialize in life, health, business, and liability insurance; legal service contacts and kits to establish businesses and non-profits, contracts, leasing agreements, licensing, and copy-write; offering books and materials of lists of how to start a business; and grants-where to look, apply and write for grants.

We also must establish arts outreach to the community at large. This means to provide art training and programs for the economically challenged and special need communities; art, music, dance, and theater workshops; develop craft and art businesses for community economic development; community theaters; free traveling shows and presentations; arts talks; community art shows and ministry fairs and community arts sponsorship. This is not just limited to the feeding of the spirit and the mind but the physical as well.

Inclusive to community incursions would be the establishment of a multiuse space/building/store front that would provide gallery space for all the community. To ensure the exchange of concepts, ideas, greatest amount of traffic to these spaces, it needs to provide more than just gallery space. It needs to have meeting rooms available for community events and classes, a coffee/pastry shop used a training ground for special needs individuals and those needing step up for those needing a hand up. Provide for community Wi-Fi access when needed.

This is the big picture. Other material will come with the specifics for each section as they become doable and able. Casting the dream is important to begin the journey.

There is a picture for the campus concept of Imago in the photo section of this site.

VISUS - See Them, Feed Them, Love Them

A division of Imago Ministries

Visus is a Latin word meaning; sight, vision, seeing, visible.

The purpose of Visus is to illuminate the need and the very heart of God to help those that require our assistance for the basics of life. One of Imago’s core purposes is identity and we must recognize those marginalized by society, giving them dignity and assistance. The world will tell us these are not worthy of our time or efforts, especially adults and children that have special needs. In our heart and the heart of God we know we must demonstrate God’s love by our actions.

Serving those with special needs can encompass many facets. It includes teaching. It includes taking care of personal care needs. It includes safety and supports for those and their families. It includes making sure there is food and more.

In the book Be a Hero; The Battle for Mercy and Social Justice the authors, Wesley Campbell and Stephen Court deal with the core of this issue. They call the sociologically and marginalized individuals the “invisibles” Who are they? They are the fragile, marginalized, hurting, dispossessed, and oppressed individuals who some of society, culture, and religion see as the damned born into this world. Frequently, these individuals have special needs.

Often, society and the Western Church have been tremendously successful at hiding a massive number of individuals from view. The unfortunate edict has been not to waste a lot of time, money, or effort on the invisibles of society. To ensure that it is done, it is common practice to place them in the out of sight out of mind category. This is against God’s concepts. It is God’s idea to bring those” invisible” individuals into view through the actions of justice, righteousness, compassion, and mercy.

Justice within societies is symbolized by blind folded figures holding the scales of balance in representing impartiality. But blindness is not compatible with justice for those “invisibles”. Justice for God is for these people to be seen. The definition of righteousness is to be morally right. It is the fair, honest, ethical, and legal response that these people need to be seen in the world with equity and equality. The most effective and simplest act of compassion is not to look away but to see, thereby removing someone from the shadows and improve their life.

“I see you” is the customary greeting amongst the Zulu. The response is “I am here.” That exchange of recognition is what allows the affirmation of humanity. To be is to be seen. Once seen with compassion, those with special needs need to be fed not only mentally and spiritually but, in many cases, also physically.

The perfection of all of creation and creativity is when a child is brought into the world, and that perfection is made evident in the way that people react to the child.

It all comes down to seeing them, feeding them, and loving them. This is what we desire to do..